University of New Mexico
Division of Dental Hygiene
This year our Division began a new tradition, we bestowed a Distinguished Alumnus Award to a true dental hygiene scholar. The individual who was chosen by the UNM faculty to receive this 1st Annual Distinguished Alumnus Award, was Demetra Logothetis, our Director. Demetra received her Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree from UNM in the 1980’s and realizing then, that she had a tremendous passion for dental hygiene, she chose to leave New Mexico, to pursue her MS Degree in Dental Hygiene. At the time, there were only a handful of MSDH Programs in the US. Fortunately, for us, she returned to New Mexico upon graduation and has been a faculty at UNM ever since.
Demetra has lead this Division for over a decade, and all the facets that have developed into this multidimensional program, where due to her outstanding leadership. When Professor Logothetis took over, the Division was slated for closure. Under her leadership, she was able to not only save the Division from closure, but the program has actually flourished.
Demetra has published numerous articles and her dental hygiene review textbook – will be published within a few months. She has served on numerous national committees and councils and has been recognized by her other alma mater, University of Missouri, Kansas City as a distinguished alumni. She has received the UNM School of Medicine Teaching Excellence Award.
Professor Logothetis has been a mentor to many dental hygiene students and faculty throughout her career. In fact, many of Demetra’s students have gone on to become leaders in dental hygiene. Her other significant accomplishments include her motivation to ensure that dental hygiene, as a profession advances in practice and science, and her leadership, to lead fairly and forcefully for our profession and program.
After twenty-five years of private dental hygiene practice, it was a privilege and a joy to embark on a parallel career filled with diverse opportunities to contribute to the integration of oral health in the prevention-wellness movement. Joy's work in non-traditional settings includes joining a transdisciplinary team researching oral health literacy and providing oral health care and education in a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) population, director of in-home mobile dental services for ACC Dental Consultants Inc., and collaborative practice dental hygiene.
As New Mexico Dental Hygienists' Association President Elect and Counsel on Education & Research Chair, she is administering the development and implementation of a geriatric oral health pilot championing the premise that all providers share accountability for health care outcomes. She has published two articles on dental endoscopy and osteoporosis prevention and screening for dental providers. She has also begun providing continuing education to dental providers nationwide.
Ann Scott has undergraduate degrees in dental hygiene and biology both with Cum Laude Honors as well as a graduate degree in dental hygiene from UNM. She has applied her education enhancing her experience in a variety of clinical settings including private dental practices, overseas military clinics, and public health clinics. Licensed in three states, she has over 16 years of experience improving her patients' oral health. She has promoted the advancement of dental hygiene by serving as a vice president and president of the PJC Student American Dental Hygienists' Association. Currently, Anne is serving as the president of the High Desert Dental Hygienists' Society and as vice president of the New Mexico Dental Hygienists' Association. She has been a member and then a graduate advisor of the Golden Key International Honour Society since 2003 and had an article published in its 2007 Concepts magazine about her graduate experiences. She has been honored with numerous awards and scholarships including Karen Majeski Award for Outstanding Qualities of Professionalism (1994), Honor Service Award for Distinguished Service to Others (1994), Leadership Award for Teamwork and Excellent Leadership Qualities (1994), ADEA/Oral B Scholarship for Dental Hygiene Students Pursuing Academic Careers (2006), UNM RHIP Outstanding Leadership Award (2006), ADHA Student Internship Program Award (2007), and NMDHA Trailblazer Award (2007).
Her volunteer community service record includes sealant and fluoride distribution programs, health fairs, public school presentations, and presentations covering methamphetamine abuse and provider/patient communications. While a graduate teaching assistant at UNM, Anne enjoyed teaching radiology and histology as well as her experiences as an adjunct instructor in senior clinic. Currently, she is applying her graduate education and experiences in a private practice in Albuquerque. Additionally, she mentors students as an adjunct clinic instructor in senior clinic at UNM providing science-based evidence and real-life experiences. Anne aspires to become a full-time dental hygiene professor to advance dental hygiene research and education thereby increasing the public's oral and systemic well-being. She enjoys spending any time with her family, and her hobbies include crosstitch, Sudoku, and playing the accordion.
Lisa is currently Director ofPreventive Dentistry for the Kirtland Air Force Base Dental Clinic in Albuquerque, NM. Her career includes diversity of 12 plus years as a clinician (private and public health), 3 years as a school-based program manager (urban & rural) and 4 years as Director of Operations of a geriatric mobile dental care company. She has served as a research intern of the University of New Mexico, Health Science Center, Public Health Center, a part-time clinical and didactic dental hygiene instructor. Lisa has always been an active member of American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA), New Mexico Dental Hygienists Association (NMDHA), Special Care Dentistry, American Association of Community Dental Health Programs and American Geriatrics Society. An active ADHA/NMDHA member who has held a multitude of offices, chaired councils and service of the local, state and national dental hygiene associations. Currently she is a member of ADHA Masterfile Project Advisory Community, ADHA Smoking Cessation Advisory Committee, and ADHA Annual Session 2008 Committee.
Lisa's community outreach projects include: a member of the NM Medical Society Clinical Preventive Initiatives, member of the UNM Dental Hygiene Program Advisory Board, Tobacco Cessation Liaison for NMDHA, Original coordinator of the Healthy Smiles Children's' Clinical Outreach, P.A.N.D.A. Guest lecturer, Original Coordinator of Special Olympics Special Smiles Programs in ABQ, Farmington and Las Cruces.
In addition, Ms. Esparza has received the Who's Who of American Graduate Students 2005, 2001 New Mexico Special Olympics Summer Games Volunteer of the Year Award, 2001 New Mexico Dental Hygienist Association Outstanding Contributions Award, 1999 ADHA/Colgate Community Outreach Award as Coordinator for the Healthy Smiles Preventive Program 1998 University of New Mexico Division of Dental Hygiene Outstanding Contributions Award and 1997 ADHA/Colgate Meritorious Community Outreach Award, Coordinator for the Senior Smile Care Day Program
